Sliding door.



P. S. ADAMS & W. H. RIOKARD.

SLIDING DOOR.

APPLIGATION FILED SEPT. 13. 1913.

Patented Sept. 22, 1914.

WITNESSES 1 ammhers TED STATESPATENT oriuca.

rnaivois s. ADAMS AND WILLIAM H. RICKABD, or rUEBLo, COLORADO.

SLIDING DOOR.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, FRANCIS S. ADAMS and WILLIAM H. RicxARo, citizens of the nited States, and residents of Pueblo, county of Pueblo, and State of Colorado, have made certain new and useful Improvements in Sliding Doors, of which the fol-. lowing is a specification.

Our invention is an improvement in sliding doors, for automobiles and like vehicles, wherein the body of the vehicle is provided with a recess or chamber adjacent to each door opening, for receiving the door, and wherein the door is mounted to slide into and out of the chamber, and wherein mechanism is provided operable from the seat, for open ing and closing the door, and wherein nor 'mally active mechanism is provided-for locking the. door in closed position, the said mechanism being arranged in such manner a that it may be released from the seat.

In, the drawings: Figure 1 is a side view of a portion of the body of an automobile provided with the improved door, and Figs. 2 and 3 are enlarged sections on the lines Q 2+2, and 33, respectively,of Fig. 1, look ing in the direction of the arrows.

.. with a recess in one or both of its sides ad The present embodiment of the invention is'shown in connection with the body 1, of an automobile, and the body is provided jacent to the door 0 ening, the said recess 2 being of such-size t at it will receive practically the entire door. The recess is in closed at the top by the upholstery of the seat 3, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and at the outer side of the said recess or chamber, other smaller recesses 4 and 5 are provided, the recess 4 being near the upper edge of the side of the body, while the recess 5 is near the bottom of the chamber. The door is'a'lso chambered, and the said doormay be. of any suitable material, having the outer surface thereof to correspond with the 'finish of the car. The door consists of a sub-.

stantially rectangular frame 6 and inner and outer side plates 7 and 8 respectively, and the outer face of the door is provided with a facing frame 9, thus forming a panel of the outer plate 8. 1 Below the door opening is a' passagewa 10 in the body of the car, extending long1-- .tudinally of both the door opening and the chamber 2, and a track rail 11 is secured to the body in the said passage, and at the bottom thereof. The track rail extends from Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed September 13, 1913.

. Fig. 2, and

Serial No..789,612.

in front of the door opening to the rear wall of the chamber 2, and the said track rail is approx mately triangular or T-shaped, as shown n Figs. 2 and 3.

The lower transverse. bar of the door frame 6 is recessed on each face, at the bottom of the door, to form recesses or passages 12 at each face of the door, the said passages being between the plates 7 and 8 and a rib 13 formed by recessing the said transverse bar from each side. A plate 14 is arranged above the passageway 10, the body of the car being rabbeted at each side of the passage to receive the edges of the said plate, and the plate is provided with a longitudinally extendin slot 15. 1

The rib 13 before mentioned, extends through the slot, and at its lower end the said rib is enlarged laterally, as shown in gitudinally grooved, as shown at 16. The lateral enlargement of the rib below the plate 14 provides a shoulder 17 at each side of the rib, between the enlarged portion and the main portion, and the said shoulders engage below the plate 14. Grooved wheels 18 are ournaled the groove 16, one of the wheels being preferably arranged at each side edge of the door, and the said wheels run upon the track rail 11,before mentioned. Other wheels 19 are j ournaled on each side of the rib 13, above the plate 14, the said wheels being mounted on a journal pin 20, which extends transversely of the rib, and engages at its ends the side plates 7 and 8. The recesses 12 before mentioned, are at the side edges of the door only, as shown in Fig. 2, the said recesses being of a depth and width just sufficient to receive the wheels 19. The groove 16, however, extends the full width of the door.

The wheels 19 run upon the upper surface ported by six w eels, four wheels resting on the plate. 14 on each side of the slot 15, and the other wheels resting upon the track rail 11. At the rear side edge the door is recessed near its top and bottom, as indicated at 21, and an eye 22 is connected to the door in each of the recesses. One end of a flexible member 23, as-for instance a rope or cord, is connected to each of the eyes, and at its other end each of the flexible members winds upon a reel 24, the said reels being journaled in the recesses 4 and 5 before mentioned.

of the plate 14,1 and the door is thus sup- The said reels are journaled on shafts 25,

the under face of the rib'is lon- Patented Sept. 22, 1914.

and the recesses 4 areof awidth to receive the reels, the shafts 25 extending beyond the recesses on each side, and b ing journaled in the body of the vehicle, as s own. The reels 24 are spring operated, to wind up the flexible members 23, and when the door is re leased from the locking means, to be later described, the springs are of suflicient strength to open the door. The recesses 21 of the door register with the recesses 4 and 5 of the body, andthe said recesses 21 re ceive that portion of the reels 24 which pros A lever is pivoted between the inner.

and outer surface 'of the upholstery of the seat, intermediate the ends of the lever, as

indicated at 31, and one end of the lever is pivoted to the upper end of the bolt 27 A push button 32 is mounted for vertical sliding movement in the upholstery of the seat,

and the lower end of the push button is connected with the end of the lever remote from the bolt. The upper end of the push button extends slightly above the upholstery, and

' the arrangement is such that when thebutton is depressed the bolt will be lifted, to

release the door, and topermit the springs in the reels 24 to open the door. The door gpidedby theengagement of the plate 7 wit the inner side wall of the chamber 2,

and by the engagement of the facing frame 9 with the outer side of the chamber.

Within the passage 10, a series of guides is'arranged .on each side wall thereof, each guide consisting of a body 33 havin its ends offset laterally, as shown at 34 an secured to the side walls of the passage 10. The bodies of the guides engage the opposite faces of the enlarged portion of the rib 13,

to prevent lateral movement of the bottom of the door. It will be noticed from'an inspection of Fig. 3, that the said ribs are so arranged that the door is always in engagement with a pair of oppositely arranged guides.

In operation, the bolt 27 normally holds the door closed,'against'the traction of the. flexible members 23. When it is desired to open the door, the button 32 is depressed, thus lifting the bolt 27 and releasing the door. Reels 24 immediately wind up flexible members 23 and open the doors, the door rollingon the wheels 18 and 19.-

When it is desired toclose the door, the grip 26 is made use of, the grip being grasped and pushed toward the front of the car. As soon as the bolt 27 comes in register with the opening of the door, it will drop into place and will hold the door closed. The springs of the reels 24 will hold the door open. i g It will be noticed from an inspection of Fig. 1, that the door is provided with an extension or projection 35 at its frontedge, and at its bottom, and the said projection is adapted to enter a notch or recess 36 in the frame of the automobile, to prevent the door from tipping or from rattling. When the door is closed the projection engages the recess in the manner specified, to hold the door inplace. v

We claim: Q

i 1.- The combination with a vehicle having a door opening, and a chamber at one side of the door openin of a door mounted to 3 slide into and out of the chamber for closing the opening, said vehicle having-a-passageway below the dooropening and extending into the chamber, a track rail in the passage, a plate above the passage, said plate having a longitudinal slot, pairs of wheels journaled onthe door, said pairs being near the: op

posite side edges of the door, and the mem-' bers of each pair being on opposite faces of the door, said wheels engaging a plate, said door having an extension passingthrough' the slot and into the passage, wheels journaled on the extension and engaging the track rail, normallyactive means within the chamber for opening thedoor, a spring latch fOl holding the door closed, a push button-adj acent to the seat, anda-eonnection between the said-button and the latch for releasing the latch when the button is depressed;

2. The combination with a vehicle having a door -opening, and a chamber at oneside of the door opening, of adoor mounted to slideinto and out'of the chamber for closing.

the opening, said vehicle-having a passageway below the door opening and extending intothe chamber, a track rail in the passage,

-a-plate above the passage, said plate having. a. longitudinalslot, pairs of wheels .journaled. on'the door, said pairs being near the opposite side edges of the door, and the members of'ea'ch'pair being on opposite faces of the door, said wheels engaging a plate, said door having an extension passing through the slot and into the passage, wheels journaled on the extension and engaging the track rail,

normally active means within the chamber for opening the door, and releasable means for holding the door closed.

3. The combination with a vehicle having a door'opening, and a chamber at one side ofthe door opening, of a door mounted to slide into and out of the chamber for closing the opening, said vehice having a passageway belowthe door-opening and extending into the chamber, a track rail in the passage, a plate above the passage, said plate having a longitudinal slot, pairs of wheels journaled on the door, the members of the pairs being on opposite sides of the slot, said door having an extension passing through the slot, wheels journaled onthe extension and engaging the track rail, normally active means for opening the door, and releasable means for holding the door closed.

4. The combination with a vehicle having a door opening, and a chamber at one side of the door opening, of a door mounted to slide into and out of the chamber for closing the opening, said vehicle having a passageway below the door opening and extending into the chamber, a track rail in the passage, a pate above the passage, said pate having a longitudinal slot, pairs of wheels journaled on the door, the members of the pairs being on opposite sides of the slot, the door having an extension passing through the slot, and Wheels journaled on the extension and engaging the track rail.

FRANCIS S. ADAMS. WILLIAM H. RICKARD.

Witnesses FRANK DAYTON, L. RAGLE. 

